Hinge



July 11, 1944. R MARPLE I Y2,353,175

HINGE Filed Feb. 17, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR )falla wry/e.

BY my n YM ATT RNEYS.

July-11, 1944. R. MARPLE HINGE Q Z 5 A: $5 h. Nd- R M .m m A e 0 m i abBY M Filed Feb. 17, 1941 Patented July l1, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENTyOFFICE HINGE Mich., assigner to Application February 17, 1941, SerialNo. 379,271

1 Claim.

.The present invention relates to combined hinging and bracingstructures, particularly adapted for, but not limited in theirapplication to, automobile body structures. The Sullivan Patent No.2,229,315, and the De Orlow'Patent No. 2,091,673, disclose and claimhinging structures, and in certain of its aspects, the present inventionis directed to improvements upon the Sullivan and De Orlow structures.More particularly, the present construction, as herein illustrated,employs hinge elements, the counterparts whereof are employed in the DeOrlow construction and which function to give the same characteristichinging movement as is afforded by the Sullivan construction. In thepresent arrangement, however, certain of the hinge elements, disposed atrespectively opposite sides of the hinged body member, areinterconnected in such a way as to enable these elements to materiallybrace the hinged member during its hinging movement.

With the foregoing general considerations in view, the principal objectsof the present invention are to provide a combined hinging and bracingstructure, which is simple in construction, economical of manufactureand assembly, and which provides improved operating characteristics; toprovide such structures of the compound type, wherein a hinging movementinvolves a bodily movement of one of the hinged members relative to theother, and wherein, further, the hinge elements are interconnected insuch a way as to brace the hinged member; to provide such structuresembodying a pair of hinge assemblies spaced apart along the axis ofhinging movement, and further embodying interconnections between saidassemblies, which act to brace the hinged member; to provide suchstructures wherein each seid assembly comprises a pair of link members,pivoted respectively to the hinged member and the cooperating structure,one link ci each pair being interconnected whereby to race the ai godmember; and to in general improve the construction and operation oihinging systems4 With the above, as well as other and more detailed inView. which appear in the iollowing description in the appended claim, apreferred but illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in theaccompanying drawings, throughout the several views of whichcorresponding reference characters are used to designate correspondingparte and in which:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of an automobile hood hingingstructure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of certain of the hinge elementsshownin Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View in top plan of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view in vertical section, taken along the line lofFig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a View in vertical section, taken along the line 5--5 of Fig.2.

It will be appreciated from a complete understanding of the presentinvention that the improvements thereof are susceptible of various uses.A preferred use, however, is in connection with the hinging ofautomobile body parts, specifically the hood. for an automobile enginecompartment, and in an illustrative but not in a limiting sense, thepresent improvements are so disclosed herein. It will further beappreciated that the invention may be embodied in structures of variousdifferent types, and the herein disclosed specific structure is,therefore, to be considered in an illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Referring to the drawings, the present structure comprises a pai-r ofsimilar xed brackets I0,

located at respectively opposite sides of the dash I2, of an associatedautomobile bod"; a xed bracket IS secured to a part of the bodystructure spaced a substantial distance in advance of the dash l2 a pairof movable brackets I8 positioned interiorly of, but at respectivelyopposite sides of the hood 263; and interconnections between theseveralbrackets, comprising the rodlike links 22 and the links 24.

1n accordance with conventional automotive practice, the cov-Jl 25 is ofcrowned construction, and is integral with the forwardly extending sidepanels, such as at respectively opposite sides of the enginecompartment. The hood 20 is also of crowned form and in accordance withconventional practice extends from the cowl to the radiator structure atthe forward end of the engine compartment. In closed position, the rearmarginal edge 23a of the hood seats upon an undercut ledge to formed atthe forward marginal edge of the cowl, and the lateral side edges 2th cithe hood seat against the upper edges of the side panels 28. In theclosed position of the hood 2e, accordingly, the entire hinging andbracing structure is concealed. A hinging movement oi the hood 20 causesthe same to rotate about a moving, generally horizontal axis adjacentthe cowl 26, and accompanying bodily movement of the hood is in aforward direction. The combined swinging and bodily movement of the hoodcauses the rear marginal edge thereof to clear the ledge .Se withoutbinding thereon.

The link 24 at each side of the body structure is pivoted by means ofpins 32 and 34 to the brackets l and I8 at the corresponding side of thehood. Preferably and as illustrated, each link 24 is provided with anextension 36, which in the open position of the hood is disposed to abuta stop 38 struck from the corresponding bracket ID, so as to provide alimit to the opening movement of the hood 20.

The forward ends of the moving brackets i8 are interconnected by astiffening member 40 and the respectively opposite ends of thisstiffening member are provided with brackets 42, which form anchors forthe pivot pins 44, associated with the rear ends of the respective links22. The links 22 extend from the pins 44 in forwardly convergingrelation, and preferably and as illustrated, are rigidly securedtogether as by welding at a plurality of points, such as 4G. The forwardends of the links 22 are pivoted by means of a pin 48 to a downwardlyprojecting portion 5l), associated with the bracket I6, which may, inthe broader aspects of the invention, be supported in various ways. Inthe present instance, advantage is taken of the usual stay rods 52,associated with the radiator structure 54, as a means for supporting thebracket I6. As will be understood, the stay bars 52 extend in crisscrossrelation from the radiator structure 54 to the dash I2, and the upperand lower halves Ilia and |51) of bracket I6 are clamped to the bars 52by means of the bolts 56.

In accordance with the disclosures of the aboveidentified Sullivan andDe Orlow patents, spring mechanism may be and preferably is associatedwith the present structure, and in a generic sense. this springmechanism may be arranged to continuously urge the hood towards the openposition, to continuously urge it to the closed position, or to pass anover-center position during the course of the hinging movement. In thepresent instance, two springs 60 and 62 are utilized at each side of thehood structure. Each spring 60 is anchored at one end to the dash I2 andis anchored at the other end to the corresponding movable bracket I. Oneend of each spring S2, in turn, is anchored to the dash I2 and the otherend thereof is anchored to the corresponding link 24. For this purpose,each link 24 is provided with a slot 54 through which the correspondingend of the associated spring 62 is hooked. In the present instance,further, the springs Eil and 52 are arranged so as to continuously biasthe hood towards the open position, and it will be understood thatsuitable hood latch structure (not shown) may be employed to latch thehood 20 in the closed position. The springs 60 and 62 are preferablyproportioned so as to substantially counterbalance the weight of thehood 2D, thereby enabling the hood 20 to be lifted upon release of thehood latch with a minimum of effort.

It will be appreciated that in certain instances the links 22 mayrequire special formation so as to clear parts of the automobile engine.By way of illustration in the present instance, one of the links 22 isillustrated as being positioned above the usual air cleaner structure66, and in order to enable such link 22 to clear the latter, the link inquestion is provided with an upwardly offset intermediate portion 22a.

In operation and as aforesaid, the hood 25J, when in closed position,seats upon the cowl ledge 30, and upon the upper marginal edges of theside panels 28, under which conditions, the parts occupy the positionsshown in full lines in the several gures, and in which positions thesprings Bil and 62 are stressed to a degree which enables them tosubstantially counterbalance the weight of the hood 20. In order to liftthe hood, the previously mentioned hood latch structure (not shown) maybe released and an upward force applied to the front end of the hood.During the consequent lifting movement of the hood. the links 24 swingfrom the full line positions of the several figures to the dotted linepositions thereof, and a similar swinging movement is im-A parted to thelinks 22. By virtue of the relative lengths and relative positionings ofthe pivot points for the links 22 and 24, the lifting movement of thehood causes the same to move bodily forwardly, which forward componentof movement enables the rear marginal edge of the hood to clear theiedge so without binding thereon. 1t

will be appreciated that the links 24 are relatively short in length,and consequently these links can readily be arranged, together withtheir pivot pins, so as to give the necessary Ibracing effect to therear end portions of the hood 2D. A corresponding substantial bracingfor the forward portions of the hood 2l) is afforded by the rigidlyinterconnected links 22, which bracing effect not only prevents thefront end of the hood from being moved back and forth laterally of thebody, but also prevents the same from being warped.

What is claimed is:

In a hinging mechanism for controlling a hinging movement betweenrelatively movable members, the combination of a pair of hinges, eachhinge comprising a link having its respectively opposite ends pivotallyconnected to the re` spective members and having means associatedtherewith to cause a hinging movement to occur about an axis which movesthrough a predetermined path in a plane substantially normal to the axesof pivotal movement of said links relative to said members, one end ofone of said links and the corresponding end of the other link having acommon point of pivotal connection to the corresponding member.

ROLLO MARPLE.

